Most couldn’t pick John Hiatt out of a lineup if he was colored as blue as his songs, but his low-key, gruff persona hasn’t kept the likes of Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, Willie Nelson and Bonnie Raitt from tagging and covering his tunes for their albums.

On his tuneful and well-named bio-disc “Beneath This Gruff Exterior,” Hiatt takes a couple of steps forward while looking back at life.

He’s just turned 50, has made 20 albums over the last 30 years and on this rockin’, bluesy, twanging mutt of a record, he proves he’s too young to die but old enough to gripe.

Right up front, on the opening track “Uncommon Connection,” Hiatt shouts to a double-time rock tempo, “Well I do my best work sitting on my a- -, sitting here waiting for things to pass.”

From the vantage of his porcelain throne, he sings about people who rush to the future and others who run from the past, and how he’s found a separate peace.

The songs all rock and the lyrics smartly grasp the writing technique that if you keep the ideas simple, you can achieve universal appeal.

Most great songwriters work this way, so it isn’t surprising that when “The Nagging Dark” or “Missing Pieces” play, you’re apt to credit Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen instead.

But the music here is all Hiatt.

Some kids might appreciate this album for its fine rock, blues and country treatments, but the nothing-is-easy lyrics will make these songs most appealing to those who’ve traveled long enough to have scars, tattoos and the knowledge that a fond memory might be made around the next turn in the road.

* LUCKY PETERSON “Black Midnight Sun” [] Dreyfus Records

Straight ‘n’ narrow bluesman Lucky Peterson swings the stylistic gates open on his new album “Black Midnight Sun.”

For this disc Peterson breaks through the blues with forays into rock soul, and he even funks it up with an update of Sly Stone’s “Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin.”

Probably the most outside blues piece is a jazz/rock fusion that’s worthy of the Allman Brothers on the blues classic “Smokestack Lightning.”

Also listen for “Lucky in Love,” where Peterson stakes his claim on the Mick Jagger song where Lucky isn’t just a description, but rather the man.

This is a very good disc, but Peterson is always best live. He supports “Black Midnight Sun” at a one-night stand at the Village Underground on Thursday.

* MARY FAHL “The Other Side of Time” [ 1/2] Sony Classical

The voice of the October Project, Mary Fahl beautifully displays her ability to sweep from the middle to high end in any song with her solo debut “The Other Side of Time.”

There are no complaints about the quality of her vocals on this album, especially on her Celtic/Moor experiment “Ben Aindi Habibi” and her rendition of the traditional Irish “The Dawning of the Day.”

Unfortunately, she chose to use mostly her own tunes – and they aren’t the equal of her voice, making for sleepy, uninteresting album.

* THE ISLEY BROTHERS “Body Kiss” [] DreamWorks

For the past 50 years the Isley Brothers have made us wanna shout, and they do it again with “Body Kiss.”

With Ronald “Mr. Biggs” Isley at the mike and R&B master R. “Kiddy” Kelly writing, arranging and producing, this album rarely misses its smooth groove target.

The dozen-song album is packed with some fine tracks, including the breakup dialogue number “Busted” where Mr. Biggs gets wise to his girlfriend’s lies; “I Like,” an urban anthem to living large that features a guest appearance by Snoop Dogg; and the dance-hall-reggae influenced “What Would You Do? Part 2.”